Various devices and apparatuses have been developed that “freshen” air by delivering a volatizable material such as a fragrance, fragrant, perfume or disinfectant to an environment of use. Such devices, commonly referred to as air fresheners, discharge volatized materials such as fresheners, deodorizers or aromatic vapors into the air to modify the atmosphere of the surrounding environment. Some air freshener devices deliver volatizable material passively or without the need for additional energy input. For example, a passive air freshener may have a reservoir which contains a volatizable material that is released into the environment as the volatizable material evaporates (e.g., ambient evaporation).
In addition to passive devices, active air freshener devices have been developed to aid in the dissemination of the volatizable material. For example, an active air freshener device may have a fan to circulate the volatizable material more rapidly and/or in higher concentration. The fan may be coupled to a power source, such as an electrical motor, to draw in air to enhance the dissemination of the volatizable material from a source such as a reservoir. In this case, a wick or some other type of mechanism is inserted into the reservoir containing the liquid fragrant, where the wick then communicates the volatizable material through its length whereupon the airflow assisted by the fan disseminates the volatizable material.
One type of fan-based air freshener device incorporates a centrifugal fan to assist in circulating the volatizable material such as fragrance laden air and a water reservoir or basin that may contain a fragrance to disperse an aesthetic scent into the environment. Centrifugal fans typically change the direction of airflow after the air enters into the system and expels the air in a radial direction. However, such fan-based devices suffer from various obstacles due at least in part to the centrifugal airflow as well as holes or apertures in the fan that allow the liquid to seep into the exhausted airflow. In particular, air is drawn into the housing and expelled through outlets or vents that are disposed radially from the entry point and/or rotating fan. This forced airflow may induce liquid carry over to the air stream which may cause the device to “weep” or “spit” small drops of liquid out the air vents during operation. Weeping occurs when liquid droplets form within the device near the vents and the rush of forced airflow exhausted therefrom lifts the liquid droplets out of device where they subsequently fall out onto the exterior housing giving an appearance that the housing is weeping. Spitting occurs in a similar manner as weeping and may be described as liquid droplets falling or accumulating on the floor or an area local to the device giving an appearance that the device is spitting out liquid. This “weeping” and/or “spitting” effect may cause damage or even failure to the device, as well as unsightly drawbacks that require cleaning.
Another problem associated with centrifugal fan devices, due at least in part to manufacturing variation in run-out, liquid reservoir over-filling, and/or evaporation or clogging during prolonged use, is the inability to draw a consistent amount of volatizable material such as fragrance containing liquid from the liquid reservoir to disperse the fragrance laden air into the environment.
Accordingly, it has become increasingly desirable to improve the overall design and operation of air freshener devices.